Gym Rat Battles His Inner Couch Potato…and Wins
By Stephen Bora
Sheltering at home and social isolation has been difficult for me. COVID-19 has brought about myriad lifestyle adaptations I’ve had to make over the past month. While acknowledging the plight of others may be more acute than the experience I’ve endured, I can only speak from my own experience. Some of the lifestyle changes I’ve endured are physical isolation from friends and family, wiping down my groceries with Lysol when I get home, and not having access to a gym.
Not having a gym may not seem like a major issue to many people, and to be honest, it wasn’t a big deal the first week for me either. However, by the second week I could tell something about me was “off”. When I’m “on,” the gym is the bedrock of my schedule. I plan which days I will exercise and at which time. I strategize my meals around my gym schedule, ensuring that sweet protein filled meal will be available within an hour of my workout. Without access to a gym, suddenly my days had less structure. There was no need to wake up early anymore. I didn’t have to keep the fridge stocked with a week’s worth of chicken. Less structure brought about more options. I could, for example, order pizza (a treat usually saved for the weekends) on a Tuesday night, or even eat cookies for lunch on a Thursday if I so pleased (it’s happened on more than one occasion).
I had lost access to the place where I rejuvenated my physical vitality. When my physical vitality is at its peak, I feel as though I’m firing on all cylinders. My mind is sharp, I’m more productive, and I hold myself to a higher standard. When my physical vitality wanes, I feel the impact in a range of ways beyond simply my waistline. It was during the second week of isolation I realized that I needed to be able to restore my physical vitality outside of lifting at the gym. I began a new meal plan of intermittent fasting that has restored structure to my schedule. My girlfriend is on the same meal plan as well, so this provides us another layer or connection during our physical distancing. Additionally, I began an at-home workout plan that my strength coach friend crafted for me. While it doesn’t beat the good ol’ bench press (what could?) it has helped me plan my day and stay accountable to myself.
What I came to realize is that I need to be more flexible in my approach to physical wellness. Just because I can’t do the exercises I prefer, doesn’t mean I should sit on my butt all day- even though it’s sometimes tempting. Some exercise is better than no exercise. Push-ups, walks, and core exercises are things I can do just about anywhere, anytime. Even if the exercises are not my ideal choice, I’m happy I found the structure I need to replenish my physical vitality.
Now we want to hear from you! What strategies are you using keep your physical vitality pumping!? Please share by emailing us.
Additionally, we are doing a cookbook! Here is the Bora family not so secret chicken marinade:
4 Parts Red Wine Vinegar
1 Part olive oil
.5 part soy sauce
6 cloves of garlic
Tell us a new recipe you’ve created or adapted as part of Sheltering at Home for COVID-19. If we choose your recipe to highlight in our upcoming cookbook, we’ll send you a free copy of the cookbook and some Living the Protective Factors magnets for your fridge.
Join us at our daily webinars and look forward to the virtual Cafés that will be coming soon. Those of you who already do Cafés, we’ll be hosting free online training for “Taking Your Cafés Online” Wednesdays and Fridays starting this week. Learn more about that and stay connected to others in the Café Community of Practice Facebook Group and contact us.